Soft-shell bag with removable liner

ABSTRACT

A soft-shell bag comprising a flexible outer shell and including a removable resilient liner for placement inside the shell to provide the resultant bag with a resilient structure and with a barrier for protecting the flexible shell&#39;s construction materials from the contents of the bag.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 60/232,768 filed Sep. 13, 2000, the entiredisclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of liners, particularly toliners for use with soft-shell bags.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] In recent years, soft-shell bags have gained tremendouspopularity. Although soft-shell bags have been around for many years,recent improvements in the strength, weight, and durability ofconstruction materials used in these bags have made them even morepopular. Soft-shell bags include many types of bags constructed so thatthe primary construction materials of their outer shells can be foldedor bended easily without damage. These can include soft leather bags,carpet bags, shopping bags, soft-sided luggage, soft cases, or plasticbags. These bags have become commonplace in a wide variety of commercialuses and for transporting everything from groceries, to picnic goods, tohunting supplies, to tool kits and everything in-between.

[0006] Soft-shell bags major difference from traditional hard-side bagsis that soft-shell bags are unable to maintain a constant shape asmovement and force from the contents effects their shape. Manysoft-shell bags, when empty, are almost completely limp and are unableto maintain even their manufactured shape. Partially loaded soft-shellbags can also be difficult to carry as the bag bends and flexes as thebag is moved. They also can be difficult to attach to traditionaltransport means for bags. A partially loaded soft-shell bag can flexaround the bars of a luggage rack, for instance, because there is norigid structure to distribute the weight of the contents across thebottom surface of the bag. This makes the user of the bag have tosupport the bag away from the rack with one hand, while trying to attachthe bag (for instance with tie down straps) to the rack with the other.

[0007] To deal with the limpness of the bags, there are many bags whichare hybrids of the soft-shell bag and the rigid bag. In these, a rigidstructure is placed within the soft-shell bag such as is shown in U.S.Pat. No. 6,220,411. Most of these are of a type commonly called“soft-side.” Soft-side bags take a soft-shell bag and include within thestructure of the bag a solid, loop-shape frame that allows four of thesix sides of the bag to be rigid. The bag therefore is lighter than thetraditional rigid bag because two opposing sides of the bag (generallythe largest) are still just fabric, while the limpness of the bag hasbeen avoided because the soft sides can be tensioned on the frame. Thebag also provides some protection for the contents because the fourrigid sides help prevent items within the bag from receiving pointforces from outside the bag on these sides. However, because thestructure is built into the bag, the structure provides littleprotection to the fabric of the bag surrounding the structure and oftenprevents thorough cleaning of the fabric.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,184 provides a different solution to dealwith the limpness of the soft-shell bag. A skeletal wire frame with asolid base is placed in the bag prior to loading so the bag issupported. While the wire frame prevents the bag from collapsing onitself while loading, it does not provide any protection to the shell ofthe bag, other than the base, because the wire frame does not provide abarrier between the fabric and the contents or outside world.

[0009] These structures, while they provide a partial solution for thelimpness of the bag, fail to provide protection for the constructionmaterials of the soft shell, the bag's contents, and/or items that comeinto contact with the bag. Soft-shell bags are more susceptible topuncture from heavy items carried in them. Because of their flexibility,the bags often cannot spread out point forces over an entire surface,but instead, the contents are forced together and onto a point resultingin partially loaded flexible bags having stress points where a rigidpoint within the bag is forced into the flexible wall of the bag. Thesestress points can concentrate too much force on the fabric of the bagresulting in the elastic limit of that point of the bag being reachedand it either permanently deforming or suffering a puncture. The stresspoints also can lead to damage to the contents of the bag or thesurrounding environment as the stress point can contact rigid surfacesand either dent them, or be damaged by them. These stress points aregenerally caused by gravity pulling the contents of the bag in adownward direction, or by the user of the bag packing the bag andpushing rigid items into the base or the walls of the bag to make roomfor additional items. Therefore, they are prevalent in both the base andsides of the bag. The above structures cannot deal with the problem ofstress points because they do not provide walls which form barriers atthe base and sides between the bag and the contents where stress pointsoccur. The first type of device necessitated that either the base or twosides include no rigid structure. The second structure specificallyshows a wire frame in the sides which provides no barrier, leaving thefabric unprotected.

[0010] Soft-shell bags are also often made of porous materials(particularly of interlinked fibers). While this helps to decrease theweight of the bags, the flexible surface can absorb undesirablesubstances from the contents of the bags. For instance, the bags mayacquire a greasy or oily residue from greasy contents preventing the bagfrom being used to carry items which could be damaged by this residue.Further, any type of liquid could be absorbed by the bag, possiblyleading to the bag acquiring an unpleasant odor, discoloring, orsuffering a weakness in the construction material. Finally, foodproducts could be absorbed by the bag which could attract pests. Toprovide for protection of the fabric from such damage, it is necessaryto have a non-porous structure lining the inside of the bag on the baseand sides to protect them from liquids moving inside the bag. Thesystems above leave much of the lower sections of the bags without anyform of covering relying on only the fabric, providing no protectionfrom the fabric absorbing such items.

[0011] These types of issues often come to the forefront when flexiblebags are used as part of travel to remote locations. This is often doneto visit a remote hunting lodge, a special fishing hole, or just to getaway from civilization for a while. In many of these types of trips, thebags are carried in or on specialty vehicles. These can include AllTerrain Vehicles (ATVs), motorbikes, snowmobiles, boats, or similarvehicles which generally require the bag to be carried in the open,often attached to a luggage rack or tied to the superstructure of thevehicle carrying them. In the open, the bags are regularly exposed tohazards. They can be hit by passing tree branches, exposed to theelements, have their contents jarred by rough terrain over which thevehicle is passing, or allow for rigid items in the bag to dent orscratch the vehicle from the same jarring terrain. Further, the use of avehicle to reach the remote area often requires the operator of thevehicle to carry items to service the vehicle should it break down. Thiscould include greasy items, or liquids such as gasoline whose absorptioninto the fabric of a bag is highly undesirable.

SUMMARY

[0012] Because of these and other previously unknown problems in theart, herein is disclosed, among other things, a soft-shell bagcomprising a flexible outer shell and including a removable resilientliner for placement inside the shell to provide the resultant bag with aresilient structure and with a barrier for protecting the flexibleshell's construction materials from the contents of the bag.

[0013] Disclosed herein, amongst other things, is a soft-shell bagcomprising, a flexible shell base, a flexible shell perimeter wallattached around the perimeter of the shell base to form a flexible shellhaving an inner surface, the inner surface of the flexible shelldefining a shell storage area therein; a resilient liner base, and aresilient liner perimeter wall attached around the perimeter of theliner base to form a liner having an inner and outer surface, the innersurface of the liner defining a liner storage area therein, wherein theliner is placed within the shell storage area with the outer surface ofthe liner adjacent to the inner surface of the shell.

[0014] In another embodiment there is disclosed a resilient liner foruse in a soft-shell bag, said liner comprising, a resilient liner base,and a resilient liner perimeter wall attached around the perimeter ofthe liner base to form a liner having an inner and outer surface, theinner surface of the liner defining a liner storage area therein,wherein the liner has a trough shape, and is dimensioned such that whenit is placed in a soft-shell bag it provides a barrier to all but oneside of the soft-shell bag.

[0015] In an embodiment, the liners may be elastic, may have a troughshape, may have a non-porous surface, may include at least one divider(which may be removable), and/or may comprise plastic such as apolyolefin, The flexible shell may comprise fabric such as Nylon®. Inyet another embodiment, the bag can also include a flexible shell top,rotatably attached to at least a portion of said flexible shell wall,wherein said flexible shell top can be rotatably moved from a closed toan open position, and/or a resilient liner top attached to at least aportion of said resilient liner perimeter wall which may be rotatablyattached to said portion of said resilient liner perimeter wall.

[0016] In another embodiment, the outer surface of the liner may be incontact with the inner surface of the shell, possibly in contact at allpoints. In yet another embodiment, the resilient liner base, and theflexible shell base have similar dimensions, and/or the resilient linerperimeter wall and the flexible shell perimeter wall have similardimensions. The liner may form a barrier between the shell and an itemplaced in the bag, may be removably attached to the shell by friction,removably attached to the shell by an attachment device, may be adaptedfor use with an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV), or may be in the shape of arectangular prism in still further embodiments.

[0017] In a still further embodiment, there is disclosed a method ofmanufacturing a resilient liner for use in a soft-shell bag, the methodcomprising, selecting dimensions for a liner such that when it is placedin a soft-shell bag it provides a barrier to all but one side of saidsoft-shell bag, forming a planer cutshape having a liner base and aliner perimeter wall, deforming the cutshape into a trough shape withthe liner perimeter wall surrounding the liner base, and securing thecutshape in the trough shape to form the liner having the referenceddimensions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0018]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a flexible outer shell.

[0019]FIG. 2 shows a resilient liner dimensioned for placement in theshell of FIG. 1.

[0020]FIG. 3 shows a resultant bag from the placement of the liner ofFIG. 2 in the shell of FIG. 1. In FIG. 3 the bag is open.

[0021]FIG. 4 shows a cutshape which can be used to form the liner ofFIG. 2 out of a flat sheet of material.

[0022]FIG. 5 shows another view of the resultant bag from the placementof the liner of FIG. 2 in the shell of FIG. 1. In FIG. 5 the bag isclosed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

[0023] The below discussion will describe an embodiment of a soft-shellbag utilizing a shell and liner construction. It should be noted thatalthough the term “bag” in this disclosure is primarily used to refer toa flexible shell containing an inner liner, the flexible shell itselfwould form a perfectly suitable bag as would be understood by one ofordinary skill in the art. Therefore, the liner of the below inventionshould be understood to be fit into a custom made shell to form a bag,the custom made shell could be used as a bag in its own right, and theliner could be used to fit into any soft-shell “bag” (using the bag as ashell) known in the art to form a bag in different embodiments of theinvention.

[0024]FIG. 1, provides an embodiment of a flexible shell (101) which canbe used as the exterior surface of a bag. This can be any type offlexible shell (101) but in the art is often referred to as a duffelbag. The flexible shell (101) depicted in FIG. 1 is generally box-shaped(shaped as a rectangular prism) which can be desirable for carrying onhorizontal luggage racks such as those on the front and rear of an ATVor other sport transport vehicle such as a motorcycle, a snowmobile, aboat, or a bicycle. The box shape is particularly desirable for suchapplications, because these vehicles often include racks for carryinggear that provide roughly horizontal (or vertical) flat surfaces forattachment. Since shell (101) has a flat base (and sides), it can resteasily against these racks. One of ordinary skill in the art wouldrecognize, however, that a box shape is by no means required for theflexible shell (101) and in other embodiments the shell could be anyspatial figure including, but not limited to, any polyhedron, anycylinder, any sphere, any pyramid, or any other 3-dimensional shape.Regardless of shape, the flexible shell (101) has a shell base (103)which is usually considered the “bottom” of the bag and is generallyseated on a horizontal surface for loading of the shell (101), and ashell perimeter wall (105) arranged about the perimeter of the shellbase (103). In FIG. 1, the base (103) and perimeter wall (105) areattached to each other such as by, but not limited to, sewing or singlepiece manufacture and are not designed to be separated. The innersurfaces (111) of shell base (103) and shell perimeter wall (105) definea storage area (151) of the shell into which items to be carried can beplaced. This open-toped structure is of a general bag shape or troughshape. In FIG. 1, the shell (101) also includes a shell top (107). Theshell top in this embodiment provides one state where the shell isclosed so that the storage space is entirely surrounded by the shell(101), and a second state wherein the storage area (151) is opened tothe outside and can have items placed in the storage area (151) by theuser of the shell (101). These two states are shown in the resultant bagin FIGS. 5 and 3.

[0025] In FIG. 1 the shell top (107) is attached to only a portion (121)of the shell perimeter wall (105). This portion acts as a hinge becauseof the flexibility of the shell (101) and the shell top (107) can bemoved between the open state where the shell top (107) is rotated awayfrom the base (103) and perimeter wall (105) and a closed state wherethe shell top (107) is located in spaced relation from the shell base(103) in a generally parallel and onset position with the shell base(103) and is in contact with the upper portion of the shell perimeterwall (105). The shell may be sealed through the use of a sealingmechanism such as zipper or flap (162) when in the closed state torestrict items placed within the storage area (151) from leaving thestorage area (151). The sealing mechanism may be of any type and doesnot need to prevent access to the storage area (151) but could simplyprovide a more restricted opening to the storage area (151). A sealingmechanism may therefore include, but is not limited to, zippers of alltypes, strips of hook and loop or similar fastener, snaps, flaps,buttons, drawstrings, locking mechanisms, or any combination of these.In another embodiment, a sealing mechanism need not be present at all.

[0026] The shell (101) shown in FIG. 1 is meant to represent oneexemplary embodiment of a shell (101) which may be used. As discussedabove, flexible shells can be manufactured in a virtually limitlessarrangement of shapes and sizes, and the invention described herein canbe used with any shape of shell (101), many of which are alreadyproduced as soft-shell bags. With different shaped shells, differenttypes of mechanisms may be used to allow the shell to be either open orclosed. For instance in a shell having a structure such as thatdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,184, the entire disclosure of which isherein incorporated by reference, the shell is opened and closed throughthe use of a fabric flap in the top of the shell. In many cylindricallyshaped bags (a popular shape for gym bags) the flexible shell has a slitin the upper surface allowing access. In a shell similar to the bagdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,428,098, the entire disclosure of which isherein incorporated by reference, the shell would have no top, but thesides of the shell can be forced together or spread apart based on thepositioning of a wire frame within the shell to open or close the shell.Regardless of the shape of the shell (101), however, all these designshave a shell base (103), and a perimeter wall (105) which togetherdefine the storage area (151) into which items may be placed that are tobe carried in the shell (101).

[0027] As shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the flexibleshell (101) may also include various carrying structures such as ahandle (141) and/or straps (143). These can be used to carry the bag byhand, or to attach the bag to a vehicle or other structure fortransportation of the bag. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the handle (141)allows the bag to be carried by an individual on foot, and/or for a userof the bag to maneuver the bag. The straps (143) can be used to attachthe bag to a carrying structure such as the luggage rack of an ATV orsimilar vehicle. One of ordinary skill in the art could see that straps(143) could also, or alternatively, be placed on the shell to enableattachment to the side of a vehicle (a saddle bag), to a person (abackpack), or could be separable to allow any type of attachment.Further, any type of attachment may be used in addition to, or insteadof, those described. These include, but are not limited to, bungeecords, rubber tie down straps, fabric flaps configured for insertion ofthe structure to which the bag is attached, buttons, snaps, or lockingmechanisms. Finally, it is not required for the shell (101) of thepresent invention to be carried in the “upright position,” that is, withthe top (107) of the shell (101) on top and the base (103) of the shell(101) on the bottom. The shell (101) could be configured to be carriedin any manner.

[0028] The shell (101), is preferably manufactured so that it isflexible, that is, it can be readily bent or folded without breaking.The shell (101) may be limp and unable to support its own weight withoutbending or folding, but it may also have some internal structure. Thetypes of materials used in the manufacture of the shell (101) can beelastic, inelastic, or anything in-between. One of ordinary skill in theart would recognize that virtually any material, shaped and sizedappropriately, could be formed into a flexible shell and any such shellscould be used in this invention. In a preferred embodiment, the shell(101) is manufactured of fabric, particularly of Nylon®, but any othermaterial or materials, such as, but not limited to, fabrics or otherinterwoven natural or synthetic fibers, leather or other natural orartificial animal hides or skins, plastics, rubbers, or any combinationof the above, could be used in other embodiments.

[0029] The shell (101) may also include additional components within itsstructure such as linings, insulation, waterproofing, or paddingincluded within any portion or portions of the shell (101) which mightserve to pad, insulate, or provide particular characteristics to theappropriate shell section, while still allowing the shell (101) toretain flexibility. The shell (101) also may include a supportingstructure to define its shape in an embodiment.

[0030]FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a liner (201) designed for use withthe shell (101) shown in FIG. 1. The liner (201) is preferably formed ofa resilient material capable of maintaining its own shape. The lineralso is preferably formed of a material which is easily cleaned and hasa non-porous surface. This material can include many plastics, metals,vinyl, or similar materials. In another embodiment, the liner could beformed of a material such as paper or wood either alone or coated with anon-porous surface. In a still further embodiment, the liner couldcomprise mesh or perforated structure such as a metal mesh either aloneor coated with a non-porous surface. In another embodiment, the liner iselastic to provide a more rigid structure (or is rigider) than theflexible shell, while at the same time being able to be repeatedlydeformed without permanent damage.

[0031] In a further preferred embodiment, the liner is composed ofmaterials sufficiently elastic to return to their original shape aftersignificant deforming, while also sufficiently resilient to maintain adesired shape under their own weight and some load prior to anydeformation. This resiliency can be accomplished through the use of,amongst other things, plastics that are bendable as opposed to rigid (orbrittle). One of ordinary skill in the art would also recognize that thethickness of the material which the liner is constructed out of can alsoeffect the resiliency of the liner. In a preferred embodiment, plasticsof the polyolifen family with a thickness of about 0.020-0.028 inchescan be used to manufacture a liner (201) with desirable elasticity andresiliency, but such construction is by no means required.

[0032] The liner (201) shown in FIG. 2 is configured for use with theshell (101) shown in FIG. 1. The liner (201) is composed of a liner base(203), and a liner perimeter wall (205) attached to the liner base (203)on the perimeter thereof to form an open-toped or trough shape. Theinner surface (231) of the liner base (203) and liner perimeter wall(205) define a liner storage area (251). The liner (201) shown in FIG. 2is configured for use with the shell (101) of FIG. 1, so the liner (201)has the same general shape (a rectangular prism) as the shell (101).

[0033] In a preferred embodiment, the liner (201) would be dimensionedto fit snugly within the shell (101). Therefore, the outer surface (233)of the liner (201) would have similar dimensions to the inner surface(131) of the shell (101). The liner in such an embodiment, could thenprovide for its structure to at least partially support the shellperimeter wall (105) and/or shell top (107) when the shell (101) wasclosed. The liner also forms a removable barrier between the material ofthe shell and the contents of the bag. In an embodiment, the liner (201)also may include dividers (1001) within the liner storage area (251) toprovide for items placed in the liner storage area (251) to be separatedfrom each other. These dividers may be permanent or removable. In anembodiment, these liners are removable and are attached to the liners byattachment methods such as, but not limited to, tuck tabs, snaps,buttons, strips of hook and loop (or similar) fastener, temporaryadhesives, or any combination of the above.

[0034] The liner also may have rounded or angled comers (281) to betterfit inside the bag, which may not have linear comers, or to prevent theliner (201) from creating a stress point which could damage the bag asdiscussed above. Connection tabs (291) may also be part of perimeterwall (205) if the liner is constructed in accordance with the mannerdisclosed in conjunction with FIG. 4.

[0035]FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a bag (301) comprising the liner(201) of FIG. 2 and the shell (101) of FIG. 1. The bag (301) is shownopen so both parts are visible. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the liner(201) has been placed within the shell (101). The liner (201) fitssnugly within the shell storage space (151) of the shell (101) with theouter surface (233) of the liner (201) adjacent to the inner surface(131) of the shell (101). The outer surface (233) of the liner (201) isalso shown in contact with the inner surface (131) of the shell (101).One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the entire outersurface (233) of the liner (201) need not be in contact with the innersurface (131) of the shell (101) but a small amount of contact can leadto the liner (201) supporting the shell (101). For instance, if theliner (201) had a perimeter wall (205) extending upward from the base(203) and away from the base (203) (the wall and the base forming anobtuse interior angle) the liner (201) may only contact the innersurface (131) of the shell (101) at the upper edge of the perimeter wall(205). Such an arrangement would still provide a liner (201) with anouter surface (253) adjacent to and in contact with the inner surface(151) of the shell (101) . In an embodiment, such as that shown in FIG.3, it is therefore desirable to dimension the liner in a manner that itpushes slightly against the inner surface (131) of the shell (101) whenplaced within the shell (101). Such design allows for the liner (201) tosupport the perimeter walls of the shell (101) as shown in FIG. 3. Thissupport exists because the liner is formed to be resilient whereas theshell is flexible. The liner is sufficiently rigider than the flexibleshell to support at least its own weight as well as the weight of theflexible shell either directly or indirectly in contact with it. In anembodiment, the shell (101) is actually limp, and unable to support itsown weight while the liner is sufficiently resilient to support both itsown weight and the weight of the shell.

[0036] The liner storage space (251) is used for the storage of itemswithin the liner (201) creating a barrier between those items and theshell (107) when they are placed in the bag (301). In the depictedembodiment, the liner (201) has no top allowing full access to the shellstorage space (151) and liner storage space (251) when the shell top(107) is rotated away from the shell base (103) and the shell (101) isopened. One of ordinary skill in the art would see, however, that theliner (201) in another embodiment could have a partial top solidlyattached to it narrowing the access to the liner storage area (251). Ina still yet further embodiment, the liner could have a top designed tomove with the top (107) of the shell (101) allowing access into theliner storage area (251) as the shell top (107) opens. In a yet furtherembodiment, the liner could have a top moving independently of the shelltop (107) but still providing access to the liner storage area (251).Such an arrangement could, for instance, require opening the shell (101)followed by the opening of the liner (201)

[0037] The liner (201) in FIG. 3, is shown placed within the shell (101)in a removable fashion. That is, the liner (201) can be removed from theshell (101) without either component suffering any damage. In anembodiment, the liner (201) in FIG. 3 could be easily removed from theshell (101) by simply lifting the liner (201) out of the shell (101).The liner (201) and shell (101) are held together by friction alone. Itis desirable that the liner be easily removable from the shell to allowthe liner to be taken out and separately cleaned from the shell, and toallow the user of the bag (301) to use multiple different liners withthe same shell if desired. In this way a user could have one shell forthe liner for use with oily ATV parts, and another liner for use withclothes, depending on what use the user is planning to have in the bag(301).

[0038] Although the liner could be removeably attached using frictionalone, in other embodiments, the liner is removably secured in the shellusing other methods. In the embodiment of FIG. 3 an attachment device isprovided to further secure the liner (201) to the shell (101). Thisattachment device can be anything from a lip or flap attached to theshell and extending over the liner perimeter wall (205) when the liner(201) is placed within the shell (101) to traditional securement devicessuch as, but not limited to, hook and loop (or similar) fastenerpatches, brackets, buttons, straps, snaps, locking mechanisms, or anycombination of attachment devices.

[0039]FIG. 3 shows an attachment flap (191 ) around the upper portion ofthe interior surface (111) of the shell perimeter wall (105) forremovable attachment of the shell (101) to the liner (201). In thedepicted embodiment, the liner is attached using snaps or similarattachments by placing the flap (191) over the top edges of the liner(201) and securing it by snaps (194). One of ordinary skill in the artwould recognize that that type of removable attachment could be usedincluding, but not limited to, snaps, buttons, strips of hook and loop(or similar) fastener, temporary adhesives, tuck flaps, or anycombination thereof. An optional top for the liner (as discussed above)could also be so secured to the top of the shell (101). The devicesprovide that the liner could be engaged and disengaged from the shellrepeatedly without damaging either the shell or the liner allowing theliner to removably attached. In FIG. 3 cut outs (374) are also visibleto allow for easier connection of the flap (191).

[0040] The inclusion of a removable liner (201) within the shell (101)provides for numerous benefits. Because the liner (201) is removable itallows for cleaning of the shell (201) and liner (201) separately.Removal of the liner (201) can allow it to be cleaned using materialsand or methods that would stain or damage the shell (101) and viceversa. Also, since the bag (301) in some embodiments lacks any rigidcomponents when the liner (201) is removed, it can be collapsed to fitsafely into a fabric care machine, if desired. In a further embodimentof the invention, the liner (201) is designed to be inexpensive anddisposable, so the liner can be thrown out after the transport ofcertain materials, while the more expensive shell (101) can be reused.

[0041] At the same time, the inclusion of the liner (201) providesstiffening properties to the soft shell (101) making it easier to load.FIG. 5 shows the bag (301) in the closed position with the liner (201)encased in the shell (101). It is clear that the shell (101) has a moredefined shape than in FIG. 1. The removable liner (201) also providesfor protection from stress points in either the base (103), or perimeterwall (105) of the shell (101) since the liner (201) is made of resilientmaterial separating the contents of the bag (301) from the shell (101).Since the liner (201) covers at least a portion of the sides (theperimeter wall (105)), rigid items can be placed in the liner storagespace (251) without them providing stress points in the fabric of theshell (101). The liner (201) forms a barrier between the contents of thebag (301) and the shell (101) at the base and all sides. Since the linermaterial is resilient, the point buildup of stresses from rigid carrieditems is distributed more evenly around the sides and the bottom of theliner (201), and distributed more evenly to the shell (101). In theembodiment shown in FIG. 3, the liner (201) covers essentially all theway up the perimeter wall (105) which means that the bag (301) can beeasily packed in any manner desired without risking stress points ineither the base or the perimeter wall. Further, since the liner has atrough shape, the liner (201) can prevent small items or liquids whichare on the inner surface of the liner base (103) from leaving the liner(201) and possibly damaging the fabric. As will be understood from theforegoing, the liner forms a barrier. This allows for liquids and otheritems which could damage the fabric of the shell to be carried safely inthe soft-shelled bag (301).

[0042] In FIG. 3, the liner peripheral wall (205) is shown extendingessentially all the way up the shell peripheral wall (105) because theyare of approximately equal dimensions. This is desirable in thepreferred embodiment as it provides protection to the fabric of theshell (101) at the base (103) and entire perimeter wall (105). Inanother embodiment, however, the liner peripheral wall (205) is shorterthan the shell peripheral wall (105) and only covers a portion of itproviding a more limited barrier. Also in FIG. 3 the liner (201) andshell (101) are shown as having a peripheral wall of constant height.This is by no means required for either component. In an embodiment, theliner (201) and shell (101) both have different heights throughout theperipheral walls but the two peripheral walls change similarly, while inanother embodiment the heights of the walls change differently. Designssuch as these can allow for use with openings that are not contained onthe top of the bag but are in the perimeter wall, for insurance, and/orcan allow for a more limited barrier to be attained for alternativebenefits. For instance, the user of the bag may wish to place bottles oflimited height inside the bag and desires the protection of the troughdesign against spillage, but wants the top of the bag to be able to foldor push down on the top of the bottles to give the bag a narrowerprofile.

[0043] In other embodiments, the liner (201) could be provided withspecial properties desirable for the bag (301), for instance the linercould be manufactured of specific materials designed to resist extremesof hot or cold without loosing resiliency and/or elasticity. The lineralso could be designed and sealed forming a watertight trough to holdloose liquids within the fabric enclosure. In yet additionalembodiments, the liner could be manufactured to resist chemical attackfrom particular chemicals, enabling them to be carried safely in thebag.

[0044] As was discussed above, it is desirable in an embodiment, to havethe liner manufactured out of plastic. Plastic is desirable because itreadily provides for a non-porous, easily cleanable, resilient, andelastic surface. Plastics also can easily be made to a multitude ofdifferent desirable elasticities depending on composition and thicknessand easily formed into a plurality of different shapes and sizes. To beable to provide for high speed manufacture of liners made of plastics(or other sheet materials), it is further desirable to have a design ofa liner which can be cut or punched from a flat sheet of material of adesired thickness and assembled into the trough shape using modernautomated assembly techniques. FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the liner(201) shown in FIG. 2 which has been disassembled into a flat cutshape(501). The cutshape (501) can be manufactured by automated processesfrom a flat sheet of plastic by cutting the cutshape (501) from the flatsheet of materials using methods such as, but not limited to, flatpattern die cutting or roller type die cutting. The cutshape (501)provides for a structure which can be folded (permanently deformed) intothe trough shaped liner of FIG. 2 using methods understood by those ofordinary skill in the art. On the cutshape (501) there are componentswhich will form a liner base (503) and liner perimeter wall (505). Thesecomponents are separated by score lines (521) to enable bending of thecutshape (501) at the division between the base (503) and the perimeterwall (505) into a three-dimensional trough shape as shown in FIG. 2.There also portions to form angled corners (581) and a plurality ofattachment tabs (523) which are bended over to align with othercomponents of the cutshape (when in their final position) and attachedto secure the final trough shape of the liner (201) formed from thecutshape (501) as shown in FIG. 2. The use of attachable tabs to securethree dimensional objects is well understood in the art. The tabs can besecured by any method known to the art including, but not limited to,adhesives, sonic welding, or thermal welding so as to build theresilient trough shape of the liner (201) in FIG. 2. The rounded cornersare further formed by corner tabs (551) and slits (553) as would beunderstood by one of ordinary skill in the art. It should be noted thatthe liner perimeter wall (205) begins as multiple physically separatepieces that are merged together to form the liner perimeter wall (205),as shown in FIG. 2. Other components of the liner and the shell also canbe formed of multiple separate components attached together as would beunderstood by one of ordinary skill in the art so long as the resultantliner (201) is resilient.

[0045] While the invention has been disclosed in connection with certainpreferred embodiments, other embodiments should be understood to beencompassed in the present disclosure as would be understood by those ofordinary skill in the art.

1. A soft-shell bag comprising: a flexible shell base including aperimeter; a flexible shell perimeter wall attached around saidperimeter of said shell base to form a flexible shell having an innersurface, said inner surface of said flexible shell defining a shellstorage area therein; a resilient liner base including a perimeter; anda resilient liner perimeter wall attached around said perimeter of saidliner base to form a liner having an inner and outer surface, said innersurface of said liner defining a liner storage area therein; whereinsaid liner is placed within said shell storage area with said outersurface of said liner adjacent to said inner surface of said shell. 2.The bag of claim 1 wherein said liner is elastic.
 3. The bag of claim 2wherein said liner comprises plastic.
 4. The bag of claim 3 wherein saidplastic comprises a polyolifen.
 5. The bag of claim 1 wherein saidflexible shell comprises fabric.
 6. The bag of claim 5 wherein saidfabric is Nylon®.
 7. The bag of claim 1 wherein said liner has a troughshape.
 8. The bag of claim 1 further comprising: a flexible shell top,rotatably attached to at least a portion of said flexible shell wall,wherein said flexible shell top can be rotatably moved from a closed toan open position.
 9. The bag of claim 1 further comprising: a resilientliner top attached to at least a portion of said resilient linerperimeter wall.
 10. The bag of claim 9 wherein said resilient liner topis rotatably attached to said portion of said resilient liner perimeterwall.
 11. The bag of claim 1 wherein said liner has a non-poroussurface.
 12. The bag of claim 1 wherein said outer surface of said lineris in contact with said inner surface of said shell.
 13. The bag ofclaim 12 wherein said outer surface of said liner and said inner surfaceof said shell are in contact at all points.
 14. The bag of claim 1wherein said resilient liner base, and said flexible shell base havesimilar dimensions.
 15. The bag of claim 1 wherein said resilient linerperimeter wall and said flexible shell perimeter wall have similardimensions.
 16. The bag of claim 1 wherein said liner forms a barrierbetween said shell and an item placed in said bag.
 17. The bag of claim1 wherein said liner is removably attached to said shell by friction.18. The bag of claim 1 wherein said liner is removably attached to saidshell by an attachment device.
 19. The bag of claim 1 wherein said bagis adapted for use with an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV).
 20. The bag ofclaim 1 wherein the bag is in the shape of a rectangular prism.
 21. Thebag of claim 1 wherein said liner includes a divider.
 22. The bag ofclaim 21 wherein said divider is removable from said liner.
 23. Aresilient liner for use in a soft-shell bag, said liner comprising: aresilient liner base; a resilient liner perimeter wall attached aroundthe perimeter of said liner base to form a liner having an inner andouter surface, said inner surface of said liner defining a liner storagearea therein; wherein said liner has a trough shape, and is dimensionedsuch that when it is placed in a soft-shell bag it provides a barrier toall but one side of said soft-shell bag.
 24. The liner of claim 23wherein said liner comprises plastic.
 25. The liner of claim 24 whereinsaid plastic comprises a polyolefin.
 26. The liner of claim 25 furthercomprising at least one divider.
 27. A method of manufacturing aresilient liner for use in a soft-shell bag, said method comprising:selecting dimensions for a liner such that when it is placed in asoft-shell bag it provides a barrier to all but one side of saidsoft-shell bag; forming a planer cutshape having a liner base and aliner perimeter wall; deforming said cutshape into a trough shape withsaid liner perimeter wall surrounding said liner base; and securing saidcutshape in said trough shape to form said liner having said dimensions.